


Payment: The Christmas Eve Job

by Beltenebra



Category: Zombie-Loan
Genre: Christmas Eve, Companionable Snark, Disney World & Disneyland, Gen, Shito is not Christmas compatible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 04:35:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8830627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beltenebra/pseuds/Beltenebra
Summary: Chika, Michiru, and Shito are sent off on a rather unorthodox assignment.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rose Argent (roseargent)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseargent/gifts).



Chika had been suspicious when Yuuta called them into the office. He said that Bekko had a special assignment for them. In Chika’s experience, that was never a good sign. The Ferryman had been all laconic smiles when he handed over three passes to Tokyo Disneyland. 

Michiru looked surprised, Shito looked confused, and he just glared. “You know we’re not paying you for these.” 

“Of course not,” Bekko said airly like he didn’t try to charge them for every damn thing he thought he could get away with. “This job will be a special favor to me. And should you find the zombie, you’ll get the fee with no deductions.” 

They had gotten to the park in the early afternoon armed with some notes from Bekko about potential hot spots. By the time evening came they had ridden three roller coasters, the teacups, It’s a Small World (twice, Shito insisted that there was so much going on they might have missed any sign of zombies but Chika was suspicious), toured Cinderella’s castle, and eaten no fewer than three churros each. Unfortunately they had caught zero zombies. 

Darkness had fallen, the holiday lights had all come on in full force, and Chika was trying to decide if curry flavored popcorn constituted a real dinner when Shito dragged them to a stop. 

“This is a waste of time. We’ve been traipsing around this place for hours now with no sign of any zombies.” 

Michiru usually tended to look on the bright side of things. “Bekko-san wouldn’t tell us to come here for no reason! I’m sure we’ll find something any minute.” 

He generally avoided agreeing with Shito if he could avoid it, but Chika had to admit that his partner seemed to have a point. “If you think about it though, isn’t it a little suspicious for him to just give us passes to a theme park? I mean, these things are like six thousand yen a pop!” Chika had visited Disneyland with his family two or three times as a kid but he’d never gone with friends. It was a pretty pricey outing. 

Michiru held the paper up in the light of a giant angel, “We haven’t finished his list of places to look yet, there are still a few more attractions.” 

He and Michiru compared the list to the park map while Shito rubbed his hand together and scowled. “Is there any worse way to spend a freezing cold Christmas Eve than walking around in circles surrounded by happy lights and assaulted by overly cheerful music?” 

What kind of idiot forgets gloves when they are planning to be out in the cold all day anyway? Chika dug into his bag for an extra pair and shoved them at Shito. “Shito, that is _literally_ everyone else’s idea of the _best_ way to spend today. Disneyland is like the number one Christmas date spot.” 

Shito stopped in the middle of pulling the gloves on to give him an incredibly skeptical look and Chika couldn’t resist needling him just a little more. “I guess you were just going to hole up in your room like usual,” he sniffed. 

“Now, now, there’s nothing wrong with liking to have time to yourself,” Michiru said, absentmindedly stepping in before they could get a good fight going. “Look, there’s the Haunted Mansion right there, that’s next on Bekko-san’s list.” 

She was right, they had stopped right in front of the huge, gothic house, lanterns flickering ominously and no less spooky looking for having its cobwebs traded out for ivy garlands. 

“Well, at least they can’t make ghosts Christmasy.” Shito said approvingly and stomped off towards the entrance. 

Chika would be willing to bet some serious money on Disney being able to make _anything_ Christmasy. Besides which, there were already plenty of Christmas ghost stories. Michiru had mentioned earlier that she had been to Disneyland for Christmas with friends before, she definitely knew what she was getting into. He turned to share a knowing look with her. “He really has no idea, does he.” 

She usually went out of her way to smooth the way between the two of them but this time she just smiled. 

Chika had always loved the Haunted Mansion, especially the part at the end when the ghost turned up in your car. He especially loved the way Shito jumped (‘Shut up, I was _just startled!_ ’). He didn’t bother to hide his laughter as they made their way outside. 

Shito was already getting a good rant going, “What the hell was that even?! They ruined a perfectly good horror ride with stupid Christmas and it’s cold and we still haven’t found any zombies!” 

Some of the other patrons were starting to give Shito odd looks, a family herded their young kids off in a different direction. He just looked at Michiru, “Do you want to explain the Nightmare Before Christmas to him?” 

She shook her head vehemently and he sighed, “Yeah, me neither.” 

Chika glanced at his watch. It was almost seven in the evening, they’d been on the hunt for hours. “He’s right about one thing, we haven’t even caught a whiff of a zombie.”He turned back to Michiru, “You have been looking right?”

When they first met her, at any sign of a challenge like that Michiru would have broken down into a puddle of apologies. Of course past him probably also would have threatened to kill her. Now he just cocked an eyebrow and she pouted back him. “Of course I have! But.. well… most people are wearing scarves and they all seem so happy to be here. Maybe Bekko-san made a mistake.” 

Shito looked like he was definitely ready to launch into another tirade when their phones all buzzed and chimed simultaneously. 

Chika took a moment to enjoy watching Shito poke at his screen with a frown, he had been getting better at using technology but he still didn’t like it. He flicked his own chat screen open.“It’s a message from Yuuta. It says he has updated information and we should meet him at a particular location to get it.” 

“He can’t just send it to us? I know how to use text messages now.” Chika hid his grin, Shito was not amused. 

“Maybe it’s sensitive? Or he thinks we’ll have questions? Anyway it’s right around the corner, we don’t even have to leave the park.” Michiru pointed out the location on the map, it looked like a restaurant. 

Shito lagged behind a few steps as they headed off to meet Yuuta. “Because of course we wouldn’t want to do that.” 

“Just because you are a total Grinch doesn’t mean the rest of us aren’t having fun,” he called back over his shoulder. 

“...What is a Grinch?” Shito looked puzzled as he caught up with them. 

Chika just laughed, he surprised himself a little, he was actually having fun. “Nevermind, let’s just go.” 

They arrived at an Alice in Wonderland themed restaurant to find Yuuta waiting at the door. He greeted them with a cheerful smile and led them back to a smaller room off of the main dining room. The sign on the door read ‘Reserved’ but Yuuta just waved them on. 

Chika did not know exactly what he was expecting but it certainly wasn’t a room completely decked out for Christmas and filled with co-workers milling around a table laden with food and drinks. Bekko was there, Soutetsu, Koyomi, even the Chairwoman and the old-man med student. 

Shito had pulled up short right behind Chika when he stopped in the doorway. Chika couldn’t see his face but he could practically hear the angry twitch in his voice. “Are you seriously telling us that this whole stupid assignment was ploy to get us to attend an _office Christmas party_?!” 

Bekko, unruffled as ever, just shrugged, “Would you have come to an office Christmas party under any other circumstances?” 

“No, he would not!” Yuuta popped up, making one of his fox hands kiss Shito on the cheek before dancing away. 

“Just so,” Bekko agreed. “Besides, you three had fun, right? It’s ok to relax and enjoy yourself from time to time.” 

Chika rolled his eyes as made his way towards the food, “We might have had more fun if we weren’t on the lookout for zombies the whole time.” 

Bekko handed him a drink and replied in his normal patronizing tone, “No need to completely neglect practicing your skills, Chika-kun.” 

He should probably be more annoyed but he did get to spend a pretty fun day at Disneyland, non-existent zombies aside, and now he was at a Christmas party with all of his friends. There was some pretty awesome food and drinks that Bekko-san had assured they would not have to pay for. All in all, it was the best Christmas Eve he’d had so far. Not that he would ever admit it. Especially not to Shito.


End file.
